Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 152 Jesus Was Poor Too
In this dark and cramped basement, the air is filled with dampness and decay.

Only a few burning candles brought some light to the space, dispelling the darkness into a small circle.

The brightest place in the entire space is the altar.

However, the reason why the altar was particularly bright was not because there were several kerosene lamps lit next to the altar.

What’s more, on the altar under the cross, what was placed was no longer the traditional communion utensils, but a pot of steaming meat porridge.

The rising condensed water vapor carries a strong smell of food.

It also makes the host of the Eucharist in this underground church appear particularly kind.

He was a young man, extremely young. He introduced himself as Garys, a man from the north who was friends with the priest of a nearby church.

This was indeed acknowledged by the priest. Even after the priest in the ground church finished the mass, he would privately emphasize that there was another mass in the underground church in the lower city of Karak, waiting for the poor people to go.

Moreover, the priest of the above-ground church had specifically mentioned that the sacrament prepared in the underground church would be exceptionally rich.

Therefore, many poor people, after attending mass in the above-ground church, would go to this underground church to experience mass again.

“…Jesus had told the rich people to give their wealth to the poor, as written in the Old Testament, but the rich people were not happy.”

"What can we do? Jesus himself was poor and could not give much away, so he could only give himself to you."

“He said this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day…”

“…the news of the coming resurrection is like the sacrament on this table, and everyone has a share.”

"...According to God's plan, brothers and sisters in a region should live together and work to build a new world without oppressors or oppressed, which is the transition before the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven."

"That is to say, now that Jesus has ascended to heaven, if he were still on earth, if he still dared to repeat what he said to the world, then the current church and lords would call him a rebel, a saboteur, a foreign Jew, a propagator of devilish ideas... and would crucify him again."

"At that time, who knows, Jesus will once again cry out: 'God, why have you forsaken me?'"

In the dim room, the air seemed to be frozen, and the silence was unsettling.

Gailis's words frightened these poor people, but they couldn't help but think about it further.

Once the fire of thinking is lit, the darkness of ignorance will inevitably be dispelled, just like the candlelight in this church. Gailis is also using himself to ignite the fire in the hearts of believers.

Just as the sermon was over, a few simple thanksgiving passages were casually recited.

There was a slight sound of wood rubbing against each other from the door of the underground church, and then it was pushed open.

At that moment, all the believers in the church looked back, for they were afraid that such a corner that could not be exposed to the sun would be known by some people.

However, when the door was opened, the first person to come in was an acquaintance of these believers, Father Antoine, the priest of the above-ground church in the parish.

Antoine is a young priest in his twenties. It was because of his guarantee that the believers knew that there was such a place and Gairis in the lower city of Karak.

However, after the door was opened, it was not just the priest who walked in, but a skinny old woman followed behind him.

Without paying particular attention to them, Gellis announced to all present that it was time to distribute Holy Communion.

He picked up a piece of dry and hard bread, broke it into pieces, stirred it into the meat porridge, and handed it to the first believer who came up.

When the believer wanted to prostrate himself at his feet and worship him, Gaillis simply refused with a gesture.

"Stand up. I am also a human being. Even Jesus is also a human being. There is no need to kneel. Don't waste time."

[My flesh is real food...whoever eats me will live because of me.]

—The Gospel of John 6:55-57
Believers after believers received the Eucharist. They actually tasted the meat, and they actually had the hope of surviving until the next week because of the meat.

It was this bread that absorbed the gravy that enabled these fishermen living in the sea of ​​suffering to see the lighthouse of heaven on the other side.

If this could happen every week, I would try my best to survive to the next week!

After the Holy Communion was distributed, Gailis did not lead the crowd in reciting any scriptures, but just waved his hand casually, signaling the believers present that the Mass was over and they should go back as soon as possible. Many people had strange gestures when they said goodbye to Gailis, but Gailis did not care.

When most people had left, only three people were left in this small underground church.

They were Gérice, Father Antoine, and the skinny old woman.

When Gailis was packing up the various ritual objects alone, the old woman came up to him with a very sad look on her face.

"Father..." she said in a nearly hoarse voice, as if every word was tearing at her throat, "I did not confess before receiving Holy Communion."

"fine."

Garys lowered his eyes slightly and looked at the woman.

He had a thin figure and staggered steps. He looked to be in his forties, but he was actually as hunched and old as a man in his seventies.

As she spoke, her cracked lips opened slightly and she stammered, and a trace of tear flowed down her old cheek before it dried up.

"I was late. Not only did I miss Father Antoine's Holy Communion, I almost missed yours. If Father Antoine hadn't led the way, I wouldn't have gotten here at all."

"Really, really... For the past three days, I have had nothing to eat except water. I am dying of hunger. I come to receive Holy Communion only to..."

The old woman's voice became fainter and fainter until it could no longer be heard. She was indeed repenting for having received Holy Communion without having done any penance.

We confess not to commemorate Jesus' sacrifice, but because our stomachs are hungry and we long for the Eucharist.

Isn't this a kind of greed?

Garys' tone was still cold. He just said casually: "Take the rest back."

As he spoke, he pointed to the undivided cakes and the last shallow layer of meat porridge.

The old woman's lips moved, an expression of surprise appeared on her face, and she wanted to say something.

But Gellis waved his hand, signaling the other party not to say more.

"Take it away quickly, the porridge is getting cold."

Father Antoine, who was standing by, watched what was happening. He said nothing and did not try to stop it.

Even though all of Garys's actions were actually blatant heresy.

In Catholicism, the Church believes that the bread and wine became the body and blood of Christ through "transubstantiation."

During Mass, when the priest recites the consecration prayer, the body and blood of Christ are truly present in the bread and wine in their "substantial" form, that is, in their essence rather than in their external physical form.

Although the outward form of these substances, such as color, taste, texture, etc., has not changed, their essence has been transformed into the flesh and blood of Christ.

Therefore, the bread and wine distributed during the Eucharist are to be seen as the literal body and blood of Christ.

This transformation is irreversible, so in order to respect the flesh and blood of Jesus, the unused Holy Communion will be respectfully kept in the tabernacle and cannot be discarded at will.

However, the poor people who participated in the mass not only ate the bread with big mouthfuls, but also hid a lot of the uneaten bread under their clothes, wanting to take it back.

Garys's current behavior has almost completely destroyed the mystery and sacredness of the Eucharist, vulgarizing and secularizing it... and turning it into an act of pure charity.

Besides, who would add meat porridge to the Eucharist? This is really too blasphemous!

But would Father Antoine say anything?

He would not say anything when the old woman, who was attending the mass in Gellis for the first time, left the underground church with the pot in her hand, looking shocked and dazed.

Father Antoine showed an almost fanatical expression towards Gérice!
Because he was convinced that the young Frank before him was the incarnation of Christ's flesh and blood!
This young man is cutting up his own body to feed the poor.

　First update

　　
　
(End of this chapter)